Romsey Abbey Church of England Primary School

PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 19/06/00 – 21/06/00

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PRIMARY SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated.

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PRIMARY SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. Romsey Abbey Church of England Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Church Lane Romsey Hampshire

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr Bruce Willshire

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 21/10/1996 Romsey Abbey Church of England Primary School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Lynda Smith Reporting inspector John Billiet Lay inspector Jo Storrs Team inspector

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Education Department – OFSTED Office Clarendon House Romsey Road Winchester SO22 5PW

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be raised with the inspection contractor. Complaints that are not satisfactorily resolved by the contractor should be raised with OFSTED by writing to:

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Romsey Abbey Church of England Primary School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

Information about the school How good the school is What the school does well What could be improved How the school has improved since its last inspection Standards Pupils’ attitudes and values Teaching and learning Other aspects of the school How well the school is led and managed Parents’ and carers’ views of the school

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL 10

Achieves good standards in English and mathematics at the end of the juniors Has improved standards in writing by the end of the infants Has good and very good teaching in Years 2 to 6 Provides well for children’s spiritual, moral and social development Develops very good relationships which underpin the good attitudes, behaviour and personal development of children Provides well for lower-attaining children, including those with SEN, so that they make good progress

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED 14

The leadership of the headteacher and governors in monitoring and evaluating school performance in order to secure improvement The headteacher’s monitoring and evaluation of teaching and learning The actions needed to bring about improvement in the key issues identified in the 1996 inspection The provision, teaching, standards and progress of children in the reception year The assessment and monitoring of children’s academic performance in order to focus teaching, improve learning and provide more effectively for gifted and talented children

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS 19

Romsey Abbey Church of England Primary School - 6

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Romsey Abbey Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School is an average-sized primary school. Currently there are 219 children aged 4 to 11 on roll. Approximately two-thirds of these children come from outside the catchment area. The school is situated in the market town of Romsey in close proximity to the Abbey with which it has close links. On the whole, the children come from socially and economically advantaged homes. The number of pupils eligible for a free school meal (10.5%) is below the national average. Children attending the school represent the full ability age range but, in the main, they enter school with above average skills. The school has identified 68 children as having special educational needs (SEN) which is above the national average. Nearly 1% of children have a statement of SEN which is below average. Currently, there are no children attending the school whose first language is not English.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Romsey Abbey Primary School is a school with some considerable strengths, such as the quality of teaching in Years 2 to 6 and standards achieved by children by the end of the juniors. However, there are weaknesses, such as the teaching, standards and progress made by children in the reception year. Although effective overall, there are shortcomings that the school is addressing in order to bring about necessary further improvement. These shortcomings detract from the overall effectiveness of the school and therefore the school is giving satisfactory value for money.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • Achieves good standards in English and mathematics at the end of the juniors. • Has improved standards in writing by the end of the infants. • Has good and very good teaching in Years 2 to 6. • Provides well for children’s spiritual, moral and social development. • Develops very good relationships which underpin the good attitudes, behaviour and personal development of children. • Provides well for lower-attaining children, including those with SEN, so that they make good progress.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved • The leadership of the headteacher and governors in monitoring and evaluating school performance in order to secure improvement. • The headteacher’s monitoring and evaluation of teaching and learning. • The actions needed to bring about improvement in the key issues identified in the 1996 inspection. • The provision, teaching, standards and progress of children in the reception year. • The assessment and monitoring of children’s academic performance in order to focus teaching, improve learning and provide more effectively for gifted and talented children. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has not made sufficient improvement since its last inspection. It has maintained many of the strengths, such as the good behaviour and attitudes of all children. Many of the issues identified in the last report have not been addressed effectively. However, a recent version of the school improvement plan does address some of the weaknesses identified during this inspection. Romsey Abbey Church of England Primary School - 7

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by 11-year-olds based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests.

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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

English C A A A well above average above average A B mathematics C B B B average below average C D science A A B B well below average E

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STANDARDS

The standards achieved in the reception year are unsatisfactory and do not provide a firm foundation for achieving good standards in later years. There are some inconsistencies in standards in the infant classes. However, standards at the end of the infants have improved this year, particularly in writing which has been a focus for improvement. By the end of the juniors, standards are very good in English and mathematics. Science test results are above average. However, in the science work sampled, there is little evidence of gifted and talented children achieving high standards. The school’s targets are realistic and based on information about prior attainment.

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STANDARDS

Throughout the school, standards in other subjects, such as art, geography and music, are in line with national expectations. However, there are children who could achieve higher standards.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Very good. The school effectively develops children’s confidence and self-esteem.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good. Children listen carefully and demonstrate self-discipline from an early age.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships Good personal development; excellent relationships; children respect the feelings, values and beliefs of others.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance Satisfactory. Authorised absences are above the national average as a significant number of parents take their children on holiday during term time.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Children’s attitudes, values and behaviour are strengths of the school. However, on occasions, when work lacks challenge, children, particularly the higher attainers, become listless and their interest dwindles. Romsey Abbey Church of England Primary School - 8

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Teaching of pupils: aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Lessons seen overall unsatisfactory good very good Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. ‘Satisfactory’ means that the teaching is adequate and strengths outweigh weaknesses.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Literacy and numeracy skills are taught consistently well in the juniors. The quality of teaching in the juniors is very good in nearly half of all lessons. Recent action has resulted in an improvement in the teaching of literacy and numeracy skills in the infants. In the top infants, the teaching is consistently very good. There are some inconsistencies in the teaching and learning in the lower infants which were identified from work sampling. The quality of teaching and learning in the reception year is unsatisfactory.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum The quality and range of the curriculum for children in the reception class are unsatisfactory. The curriculum is satisfactory in the infants and good in the juniors.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. Effective provision and good teaching enable children with SEN to make good progress.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Opportunities to foster personal development are good, as are opportunities for spiritual, moral and social development. Arrangements to promote children’s cultural development are satisfactory.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils Care is good. Staff know the children very well, are interested in them and listen to any problems they may have.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Recent improvements in planning in the reception year have strengthened provision so that this area of the curriculum is now meeting statutory requirements. The curriculum in the infants is satisfactory, although it is not adjusted sufficiently to meet the needs of all children, particularly those who are gifted and talented. The curriculum in the juniors is good, although provision in science and some of the foundation subjects can be improved further. There are shortcomings in the assessment and monitoring of children’s performance. Procedures for child protection and ensuring children’s welfare are effective. Parents have positive views of the school and a clear appreciation of its strengths.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff The leadership of the headteacher is unsatisfactory because it has not been effectively focused on school improvement. His monitoring and evaluation of the quality of teaching and learning have been insufficient. The leadership of other key staff is developing so that they are making a good contribution to school improvement. Romsey Abbey Church of England Primary School - 9 Aspect Comment

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Governors have not monitored and evaluated school improvement adequately. They have only recently become aware of the weaknesses in the standards achieved in the infants. Consequently, they are only just beginning to call the school to account for the standards it achieves, which is their prime responsibility.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance This is a weakness and is the main reason for insufficient improvement.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources Resources are used appropriately. Staff are well deployed and specific grants are being used effectively.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school applies the principles of best value to underpin financial decisions.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved • Good school with mainly good standards. • Curriculum is broad and balanced – good. • Attitudes, values, behaviour and relationships between teachers and children are strengths. • Links with the Abbey are good and support children’s personal development. • Provision for pupils with SEN is good. • Good relationships between older and younger children support socialisation. • Support and guidance for children. • School encourages punctuality. • Staff are very approachable. • Accommodation and security have improved. • Competence in information technology. • Access to music tuition. • Meeting individual needs, particularly of gifted and talented children is a concern. • Time allocation and standards in art, music and science. • The management of the challenging behaviour of some children. • More information in reports about their children’s targets and progress.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

The inspection team confirms that there are issues in relation to the provision for gifted and talented children. There are shortcomings in art, music and science. Not all reports give parents a clear picture of their children’s strengths, weaknesses, targets and progress. The team judges communication with parents to be satisfactory and does not support the view that the behaviour of challenging children is dealt with ineffectively. Romsey Abbey Church of England Primary School - 10

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Achieves good standards in English and mathematics at the end of the juniors

1. The children in the junior classes make good progress in the development of their literacy and numeracy skills. The school has continued to place a strong emphasis on English and mathematics to ensure that good standards are achieved. Consequently, in the 1999 national tests for 11-year-olds, children achieved well above average standards in English. English results have improved from average in 1997 to above average in 1998 and 1999. Work sampling and lesson observation during the inspection confirms that children’s daily work is of high quality.

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Achieves good standards in English and mathematics at the end of the juniors

2. The English subject manager has provided effective support to colleagues. Teachers have a good understanding of English and diligently use the national literacy strategy to guide their work. For example, in Year 6, a good range of poems had been thoughtfully selected for analysis. Effective presentation by the teachers and well-focused questions enable children to develop their understanding of metaphor, simile and personification. As a result, all independent writing is of a high standard.

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Achieves good standards in English and mathematics at the end of the juniors

3. The additional in-class support of the special needs co-ordinator in this year group is having a very positive impact on the standards achieved by lower-attaining children. During the English lesson observed, these children produced some interesting work using vocabulary imaginatively and demonstrating a good understanding of personification.

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Achieves good standards in English and mathematics at the end of the juniors

4. In Year 5, a good literacy lesson focused on developing children’s understanding of persuasive writing. This provided an effective stimulus for children to create their own letters about fox hunting.

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Achieves good standards in English and mathematics at the end of the juniors

5. A positive factor contributing to high standards in English is the development of literacy skills in other subjects. For example, in Year 4, children’s work in history provides them with a suitable range of opportunities to write accounts and explain features of changes in life in Britain since the 1930’s. The improved provision for information technology (IT) is supporting work in English. There is a wide range of examples of work where children have used the computer to develop their word- processing skills.

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Achieves good standards in English and mathematics at the end of the juniors

6. Throughout the juniors, children make good progress in the basic skills of reading, spelling, punctuation and handwriting. They have plenty of opportunities to use dictionaries, thesauri and the spell checker on the computer. In a science lesson in Year 3, the teacher encouraged children’s vocabulary development by collecting a wide range of words describing how mini beasts move.

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Achieves good standards in English and mathematics at the end of the juniors

7. The standards achieved in mathematics are also above average. In the 1999 national tests for 11-year-olds, the children achieved above average results. This is an improvement from the average results achieved in 1997 and is consistent with the outcomes of the 1998 tests. In lessons and in their daily work, children make good progress in their mathematical skills. Teachers use the national numeracy strategy well to plan and structure their lessons. A particularly positive feature of a Year 3 mathematics lesson was a well-focused plenary session which involved children in evaluating work they had undertaken independently. Romsey Abbey Church of England Primary School - 11 8. Children’s use of a range of mathematical strategies for mental calculations is developing particularly well in Years 3 and 4 where the impact of the national numeracy strategy is having a very positive effect.

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Achieves good standards in English and mathematics at the end of the juniors

9. The mathematics subject manager has made an important contribution to the effective implementation of the national numeracy strategy. The school’s work in mathematics was identified as good in the last inspection and has been enhanced by in-service training led by the subject manager. Lesson observation by the mathematics subject manager has enabled staff to have constructive critical feedback in order to improve their teaching.

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Achieves good standards in English and mathematics at the end of the juniors

10. In the work sampled in mathematics, there is effective coverage of the different elements of the mathematics curriculum. There are good examples of how IT has been used to improve children’s data-handling skills.

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Achieves good standards in English and mathematics at the end of the juniors

11. In Years 5 and 6, where children’s prior attainment in the end-of-Key Stage 1 tests in 1996 and 1997 was a concern, successful arrangements to address this have been put into place. This year, the work of the special needs co-ordinator in Year 6 has enabled lower-attaining children in this large class of 36 to be well supported. As a result, they have made good progress in developing an understanding of place value, addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.

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Has improved standards in writing by the end of the infants

12. At the beginning of the autumn term 1999, the school began a rigorous investigation of English standards in the infants. It involved an analysis of test and task results over the past three years. In addition, children’s daily work was sampled, planning was scrutinised and lessons were observed. Weaknesses were identified and, as a result, the school decided to focus on improving children’s writing skills. The subject manager, effectively supported by the deputy headteacher, created an action plan with appropriate targets for improvement.

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Has improved standards in writing by the end of the infants

13. This initiative is already having a positive impact on children’s writing standards. Consequently, in the tests and tasks recently undertaken (summer 2000), writing results have improved. Nearly all Year 2 children attained the average level and 20% have attained higher standards. This success is a strong indication that when the school focuses on a problem, it has the commitment and capacity to bring about improvement.

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Has improved standards in writing by the end of the infants

14. A significant factor contributing to success is the consistent and very good quality of teaching in Year 2. This is underpinned by high expectations of what children can achieve. Evidence of this was seen in a literacy session focused on developing children’s understanding of synonyms. Good resources, careful explanations and effective questioning encouraged the full involvement of the whole class. In the independent work, lower-attaining children were very well supported by the learning support assistants so that they made good progress. Children with average and above average abilities worked hard and also made good progress.

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Has improved standards in writing by the end of the infants

15. The national literacy strategy is being used effectively to guide planning throughout the infants. Grants have been used effectively to improve the range, quality and quantity of resources. The English subject manager is knowledgeable and is providing very good support to her colleagues. Teachers have recognised the Romsey Abbey Church of England Primary School - 12 importance of reducing the time children spend copying writing. Instead, they are using time more effectively to improve children’s independence in writing. Evidence of this was seen in Year 1, where children were writing postcards to a former school friend who is now living in Ireland. This is good practice as it gives children a real reason for writing. The outcomes show that many children are now making good progress in sequencing their ideas, spelling and punctuating their work. Good opportunities to write are being provided in role-play in the post office where children

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Has improved standards in writing by the end of the infants

read and write letters and address envelopes.

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Has good and very good teaching in Years 2 to 6

16. In Year 2, the quality of teaching is consistently very good. Expectations of what young children can achieve are as high in science and music as they are in English. The teachers’ very skilful questioning in science probes children’s answers and challenges them to refine their ideas. For example, in science, they had to consider the effect of what increasing the height of a ramp would have on the speed and distance travelled by different cars. Good links were made to mathematics, with children being required to measure accurately in metres and centimetres. In music, high expectations and very good subject knowledge supported children in recreating sounds and developing their understanding of tempo. In other subjects, evidence from work on display and in the children’s books is of a consistently high standard.

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Has good and very good teaching in Years 2 to 6

17. In the junior classes, there is also a high proportion of good and very good teaching. All teachers have a secure appreciation of good practice in English, mathematics and IT. Recent initiatives have improved children’s use and competence with IT.

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Has good and very good teaching in Years 2 to 6

18. The headteacher’s regular involvement in the teaching programme every afternoon enables class groups to be split. Every week half of the class works in the computer suite whilst the others have a music lesson. This good use of teachers’ subject expertise and sharing of subject knowledge is have a positive effect on developments in IT. For example, Year 5 children working in IT with a graphic package were learning how to create, manipulate and combine shapes on screen. Throughout the children’s daily work there is evidence of children’s use of IT to support their work in other subjects. They use programs to support their work in art. Evidence of computer generated graphs and simple spreadsheets were seen. This is an improvement since the last inspection.

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Has good and very good teaching in Years 2 to 6

19. Good teaching in the juniors is founded in established long-term planning documents. A good range of teaching methods is used, suited to the purpose of the lesson. For example, in Year 3, when collecting mini beasts from different habitats, children were learning how to classify insects. In addition, with guidance from the teacher, they were discovering how animals adapt to suit their environment.

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Provides well for children’s spiritual, moral and social development

20. Children at Romsey Abbey Primary School are effectively supported in developing socially, morally and spiritually. Moral and social issues are incorporated into learning opportunities. For example, during a Year 5 and 6 assembly, issues related to bullying were discussed. Good use of role-play and discussion fostered children’s understanding of the effect of their actions on others. Principles of right and wrong were discussed and reinforced. During the collection of mini beasts, children were encouraged to think about the importance of taking care when handling creatures. Awareness of, and respect for, one another are strong features of the school’s ethos Romsey Abbey Church of England Primary School - 13 and underpin its mission statement to provide quality education in a loving Christian environment.

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Provides well for children’s spiritual, moral and social development

21. Parents believe that the opportunities for older and younger children to play together raise their social awareness. Older children are expected to be aware of the needs of younger children. During the summer, the whole school uses the field at lunch-time. Supervision is good.

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Provides well for children’s spiritual, moral and social development

22. Throughout the school, staff provide good role-models by promoting fairness, respect and concern for others. They regularly remind children of the need to listen to each other and to take turns during activities. Children are expected to clear up after activities and to take responsibility for the classroom environment.

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Provides well for children’s spiritual, moral and social development

23. The good links with the Abbey are strongly appreciated by parents who believe these make a significant contribution to children’s personal development. Many visitors are welcomed into the school and they enrich children’s learning.

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Provides well for children’s spiritual, moral and social development

24. Opportunities to develop children’s spirituality are evident in aspects of the school’s work. For example, a recent visit to Minstead provided a wide range of opportunities for children to reflect on the natural world. During the inspection, the discovery of a pregnant spider during the collection of mini beasts caused great excitement and filled children with a sense of awe and wonder.

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personal development of children

25. This area, identified in the last inspection, remains a strength. Parents spoke very positively about this aspect of the school’s work. Almost all the responses in the questionnaire support this view. Parents appreciate the way in which the school develops children’s confidence and promotes their self-esteem. Indeed, children’s confidence is very effectively fostered by all staff who use praise and positive reinforcement to encourage all children to take an active role in lessons. The adults are interested in the children, know them well and are prepared to listen to any problems they may have.

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personal development of children

26. Direct observation confirms that in lessons and around the school, children behave very well. In classrooms and in whole-school gatherings, children listen attentively to their classmates and to all adults working in school. Self-discipline is evident from a young age. It was a pleasure to observe children in Year 1 behaving so sensibly when they compared the capacity of different containers by filling them with sand and water.

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personal development of children

27. The very good relationships throughout the school and the wider community are significant factors which contribute to the good attitudes and behaviour. Mutual respect is evident between adults and children and between the children themselves. The partnership between parents and the school is strong and parents find the staff approachable. All these factors have a positive impact on the attitudes of the children.

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personal development of children

28. Some parents expressed concern that the school does not deal effectively with the challenging behaviour of a minority of children. The evidence gathered does not support this view. Romsey Abbey Church of England Primary School - 14

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needs, so that they make good progress

29. Provision for lower-attaining children and those with special educational needs (SEN) is good. Efficient and effective systems and procedures are in place. Various assessments are used to pinpoint children’s learning difficulties. Clear and specific targets are set for children and these are reviewed regularly. Parents are involved in these reviews appropriately.

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needs, so that they make good progress

30. The school takes into account the needs of children whose attainment, although within the average range, can be improved by additional support. Learning assistants in the reception and infant classes make a very positive contribution to the progress of these children.

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needs, so that they make good progress

31. A focus for development during the past few years has been to strengthen the role of the learning support assistants. This has been achieved by encouraging them to access additional training, both outside and within school. They have information, such as teachers’ medium-term planning, so they are aware of the key learning objectives. In addition, they have briefing sheets which give them a clear outline of what they need to focus on in lessons. In a literacy session observed in Year 1, this included the vocabulary that children needed to learn.

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needs, so that they make good progress

32. The good progress of lower-attaining children and those with SEN, is due to the effective partnership between the special needs co-ordinator, teachers and learning assistants. In literacy and mathematics lessons, assistants participate skilfully, working effectively with groups of children. An example of this was seen in a Year 1 lesson on capacity. By careful questioning, two learning assistants provided good support and reinforced and extended the children’s ideas. In the reception class, the good intervention of a learning assistant enabled children working in The Teddy Hospital to make good progress in reading a temperature chart.

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needs, so that they make good progress

33. This year, the in-class support of the special needs co-ordinator in Year 6 has been most effective. By working alongside the class teacher in English and mathematics sessions, the SEN co-ordinator has made a significant contribution to raising the standards achieved by lower attainers. The decision to use the special needs co-ordinator’s teaching expertise in this way was a positive response to addressing concerns about the prior attainment of a number of children in this class.

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performance in order to secure improvement

34. The systems for monitoring and evaluating teaching, learning and curriculum developments are weak. There has been insufficient improvement in this aspect of the school’s work which was identified as a key issue in the last inspection. It is only since the beginning of this academic year that comparative and benchmark data have been used to raise questions about whether the standards achieved in the school are high enough.

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performance in order to secure improvement

35. Standards in Key Stage 1 tests in 1996 and 1997 were below average in reading, writing and mathematics when compared to national averages. Despite an improvement in 1998, when compared to similar schools, the results in the 1999 tests Romsey Abbey Church of England Primary School - 15 and tasks were still below average in reading and writing and well below average in mathematics. As these issues were not immediately investigated by the school, improvements were not put in place until the beginning of this academic year. A recent version of the school improvement plan does address some of the weaknesses identified during this inspection.

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performance in order to secure improvement

36. The headteacher’s and governors’ evaluation, in relation to the key issues identified in the previous inspection, has been unsatisfactory. For example, governors have received reports from the headteacher and subject managers about work undertaken in art and music. However, there has been insufficient evaluation of the impact of this work on the standards children attain.

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The headteacher’s monitoring and evaluation of teaching and learning

37. The headteacher has not used his time appropriately. He has not monitored and evaluated the quality of teaching sufficiently. Consequently, he does not have a clear picture of individual teachers’ strengths and weaknesses. This means that support and professional development of staff are not based on up-to-date information.

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The headteacher’s monitoring and evaluation of teaching and learning

38. Direct classroom observation has been very limited and staff have not received written feedback about their work from the headteacher. Appraisal ceased two years ago. Current arrangements in this area are poor. A monitoring policy has been created recently but, as yet, it has not been implemented. The headteacher and governors are working on a performance management policy to be implemented from September 2000.

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The headteacher’s monitoring and evaluation of teaching and learning

39. Recently, senior managers have been involved in monitoring activities. For example, the deputy headteacher worked alongside the school’s attached inspector to monitor teaching and learning in the reception and infant classes. This was valuable professional development. Other senior managers would appreciate further training to develop their skills in classroom observation.

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1996 inspection

40. Most of the key issues identified in the last inspection have not been addressed effectively. Some of these are detailed elsewhere in this section of the inspection report.

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1996 inspection

41. Improvements to art and music are not secure and still require further work. The art subject manager has strengthened and improved long and medium-term plans. Staff have benefited from in-service training and more is planned. Sampling of the work in children’s art portfolios indicates that standards are satisfactory but few children achieve higher standards. Sketchbooks are not used consistently to support experimentation and investigation. There has not been sufficient evaluation of these initiatives to determine whether attainment and progress are good enough.

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1996 inspection

42. The school adopted a published music scheme to provide a framework for teaching and to aid continuity and progression. Learning opportunities have been extended and the quantity, quality and use of instruments have been increased. Funds raised by the parents have been used to support this initiative. Parents’ expertise has been used to organise recorder groups. An orchestra has also been organised. 43. The headteacher’s regular involvement in the teaching programme enables children in Years 2 to 6 to be taught music in smaller groups. There is still more work to do as Romsey Abbey Church of England Primary School - 16 there has been little training since the introduction of the published programme. The music subject manager has appropriate plans to develop a school scheme of work to assist less confident teachers and support continuity and progression. The workload of the subject manager is considerable and should be reviewed in order to ensure

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1996 inspection

that improvements proceed at an appropriate pace.

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1996 inspection

44. The previous inspection identified the need to improve opportunities to foster the cultural development of children. Provision is now satisfactory in relation to children’s development of their understanding of their own culture. However, there has been only limited improvement in relation to multicultural education. Consequently, children are not sufficiently prepared for life in a multicultural society.

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1996 inspection

45. A key issue from the previous inspection was that infant children’s reports did not meet statutory requirements. This has been addressed. A further issue involved improvement in the quality of information in these reports. This has not been fully addressed. Although reports are detailed, the inspection team agrees with parents that not all reports give a clear picture of individual children’s strengths and weaknesses or contain suitable targets.

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The provision, teaching, standards and progress of children in the reception year

46. This is an area of weakness. It was only at the beginning of this academic year that the school identified these weaknesses and started to take suitable steps to address them. For example, planning has very recently been improved to ensure it meets statutory requirements. Baseline assessments undertaken within the first term of entry have not been analysed sufficiently to predict attainment and track progress. This has made it more difficult for the temporary teacher to work effectively.

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The provision, teaching, standards and progress of children in the reception year

47. According to the baseline assessment data, most children enter school with average to above average skills. This was confirmed by direct observation. Children’s personal and social development is good. They behave very well in class and listen attentively. Many children have well-developed literacy skills. For example, higher-attaining children are able to read simple texts accurately and with understanding. When writing, some children are able to write words and phrases independently. These good skills are not effectively and consistently developed by well-focused teaching. There is still too much copy writing in children’s work. An over reliance on worksheets limits children’s learning in English, mathematics and science.

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The provision, teaching, standards and progress of children in the reception year

48. The teaching observed during the inspection was carefully planned but it was not specific enough to meet the needs of all children. Often, work lacks challenge for higher-attaining children. For example, in a lesson focused on developing children’s historical understanding, the children had insufficient opportunities to make a contribution. They were required to sit for too long listening, rather than engaging in purposeful discussion and activity.

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The provision, teaching, standards and progress of children in the reception year

49. Learning support assistants and parents make an effective contribution to children’s progress when they are well briefed. This is not always the case and additional information about intended learning outcomes is needed by other adults who work in the classroom. Romsey Abbey Church of England Primary School - 17

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children

50. Throughout the school, standards in science, art, geography and music are in line with national expectations. However, in the work sampled, there is little evidence of gifted and talented children achieving high standards. This is because the assessment and monitoring of children’s academic performance are underdeveloped. Evaluating children’s learning through work sampling, lesson observation, scrutiny of planning and discussion with children is not informing improvement. Consequently, shortcomings identified in the first inspection have not been remedied. There are too many worksheets which are not supporting the development of children’s independent writing skills or their learning in geography and science. Although writing standards are good in the juniors, these could be improved further by enabling children to use their good writing skills more effectively to support their work in other subjects. Similarly, children do not make their own decisions about how to record their

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children

work, which is an important element of learning in science, particularly for higher- attaining children.

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children

51. Tracking children’s progress and individual target setting is at an early stage of development. Baseline assessments are not used effectively to set targets for younger children. In the juniors, teachers use the optional national tests at the end of the year to assist them in assessing and grouping children. However, assessment is not used effectively to adjust the curriculum to meet all children’s needs. The school does this successfully in relation to lower attainers. However, it does not take enough account of prior attainment to meet the needs of higher-attaining children. Consequently, in lessons, work is not always well-matched to children’s abilities and therefore does not provide an appropriate level of challenge. This is also evident in the work sampled. In addition, teachers’ marking is not giving children a clear idea of what they need to do to improve their work.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

52. In order to address the weaknesses in the school and to bring about sustained improvement, the headteacher, staff and governors should:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• improve the leadership of the headteacher and governors in respect of monitoring and evaluating school performance by:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

− regularly and systematically analysing data from the Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 results to question whether the standards achieved by children in the school are high enough, and take appropriate action to ensure that standards are as good as they can be

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

− analysing the baseline assessment data to ensure that performance targets are set and achieved which reflect the good level of skills that children have when they enter school

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

− rigorously monitoring and evaluating improvement initiatives to make sure that they have positively impacted on the standards that children achieve

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(paragraphs: 34, 35, 36) Romsey Abbey Church of England Primary School - 18 • improve the headteacher’s monitoring and evaluation of teaching and learning by:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

− planning and implementing a monitoring programme involving direct observation in the classroom, and providing constructive feedback to improve the quality of teaching

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

− undertaking a range of activities, including work sampling and interviewing children, to determine whether the children’s learning is in line with their capabilities

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

− co-ordinating the activities and information gained by subject managers to ensure that the outcomes are used to improve the quality of teaching and learning

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• take further action to improve the key issues identified in the 1996 inspection by:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

− preparing and implementing a revised action plan to ensure that the key issues from the last report are rigorously addressed, together with those from this inspection

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

− evaluating the effectiveness of the actions taken on the children’s attainment and learning

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• improve the teaching, standards and progress of children in the reception year by:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

− ensuring that the action plan already in place is implemented, monitored and adjusted where necessary

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

− providing support, guidance and training for staff

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• improve the assessment and monitoring of children’s academic performance in order to focus teaching, improve learning and provide more effectively for gifted and talented children by:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

− ensuring that timely and accurate assessments are used to raise expectations and adjust planning so that the tasks provided for these children are challenging and enable them to develop their thinking and learning skills effectively

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

− providing more training for teachers so they form an accurate view of these children’s abilities and plan a varied range of challenging tasks to meet their needs.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(paragraphs: 50, 51) Romsey Abbey Church of England Primary School - 19

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 16

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

0 40 20 35 5 0 0 The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) N/A 219

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals N/A 23 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs N/A 2

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register N/A 68

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 3

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 14

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Attendance

National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Romsey Abbey Church of England Primary School - 20

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 1999 15 16 31

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 12 13 13 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 13 13 13

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 81 (94) 84 (91) 84 (94) at NC level 2 or above National 82 (80) 83 (81) 87 (84)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 13 13 14 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 13 12 14

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 84 (97) 81 (94) 90 (94) at NC level 2 or above National 82 (81) 86 (85) 87 (86)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year.

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 1999 29 17 46

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 23 24 26 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 15 13 16

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 83 (83) 80 (73) 91 (90) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (65) 69 (59) 78 (69)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 21 25 26 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 14 13 16

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 76 (87) 83 (73) 91 (90) at NC level 4 or above National 68 (65) 69 (65) 75 (72) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Romsey Abbey Church of England Primary School - 21

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 0 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0 This table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. This table gives the number of exclusions of pupils of compulsory school age, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 9 Financial year 1999/2000

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 24

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 466,437.00

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 8 Expenditure per pupil 2,037.00

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 119 Balance brought forward from previous year 2,744.00

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 6,676.00

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) N/A

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher N/A

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff N/A

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week N/A

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per FTE adult N/A FTE means full-time equivalent. Romsey Abbey Church of England Primary School - 22

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Strongly agree Tend to agree Tend to disagree Strongly disagree Don’t know

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child likes school. 51.0 46.0 1.0 1.0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 36.0 60.0 2.0 1.0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 38.0 57.0 4.0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 30.0 47.0 10.0 7.0 5.0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 26.0 55.0 14.0 4.0 1.0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 62.0 33.0 4.0 1.0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 47.0 46.0 5.0 2.0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 33.0 52.0 12.0 3.0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 40.0 49.0 4.0 2.0 5.0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 52.0 47.0 1.0 1.0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 20.0 50.0 16.0 5.0 8.0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

At the parents’ meeting, a comment was made that some young children did not feel safe on the school field at lunch-time when the older children were out to play. There were mixed views from other parents about this issue.

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

A parent expressed concern about security for young children at the end of the day based on the fact that her young child had walked through the school gate on her own.

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Inspectors observed young children on the field at lunch-time and the supervision was good. However, younger children talked about their lack of confidence and this is an issue for the school to review. Inspectors came to the view that security at the end of the day is satisfactory.

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